uddenly become a disturbing and incomprehensible problem. In trying to readjust her conception of the practical and energetic girl, Susan found herself confronted with the artif

ast, seeing that Bella was comfortably disposed on her mattress in the wagon. She had not a glance for Zavier. Could a girl steal out to meet and ki

ut complete abasement and, of course, a confession to her father. And how dreadful that would have been! She could feel humiliation stealing on her at the thought of the doctor's frowning displeasure. But Lucy had evidently told no one. Why had she

, her arms showing no curve from wrist to elbow, the lines of her body delicately angular under the skimpy dress of faded lilac cotton. The sun blazing through the canvas cast a tempered yellow light over her that toned harmoniously with the brown coating of freckles and the

d to speak to Lucy of what she had overseen. In the first place she felt guilty and wanted to confess. Besides that the need to give advice was strong upon her, and the natural desire to interfe

hen they gathered at her cradle. Looking at the quivering needles she tried to think of a good beginning, and like most direct a

e middle of the

nit un

eyond the shadow where my tent was I could

ere in your tent?" This without st

r, answered, her voice instinctively dropp

hands and saw that the speed

ed out? What did

on had come. Susan wa

ple whisperi

tinued to hold them in the same position, a s

" she said.

cy, you

oked at the anxious face opposite. Her eyes were quiet and steady, but thei

t know. How

s not only breathless b

was

dn't understand. I saw you, you and Zavier, wrapped in t

d growing harder. Under the freckles

an? Saw me and

ent out into the moonlight with the b

ardness was now in her voi

glance steady and deny the truth. A scaring sense of desperate powers in Lucy that were carrying her outside the familiar and established, seized her friend. It was all

dn't. Don't bother to tell me a lie. What did it

ct the needles, but they shook and she dropped them. She made a sharp movement with her head

" she said angrily. "

into the storm-driven depths. It was as if a child brought up in

top. I thought you didn't care about him. You only laughed and everybody t

rigid, looking down. She seemed gripped in a pain that stiffened her body and made her face pinched and hag

tell my father and he

ell with a metallic harshness on the silence. Her mouth quiver

orment me. I feel b

pause. Susan brok

e going to

, "no. What

erishly to work, the needles clicking, stitches

she cried suddenly in

ion and was once again floundering between igno

t. He ki

Isn't that t

an to. I didn't mean to go out and meet him and I went. I-" she gathered up the stocking and, needles and all, buried her face in it. It was the only thing she could find to hide behi

iver's seat, silhouetted against the circle of sky, slipped the whip into its ring of leather and turn

he asked, squinting blindly from the sun dazzle

ng stories and th

red at Lucy's r

he queried. "Thoug

aches, it'

ing for her. Just stay where you are,

ery of the train. Glen's call for her was mingled with the fresh treble of Bob's and Bella's at a farthe

get a hold on myself. Ask Zavier to build the fire and cook. He'

her relatives. The clamor that rose about their disorderly fire and unsavory meal came to her ears through the canvas walls, and she remained deaf and unconcerned. When Susan cre

e put too much work on her sence her sister took sick

ngs of Lucy's trouble. Women on the trail should be taken care of as his Missy was. Glen McMurdo was the kind of man who let the women take care of him, and between

file of wagons pass her. She saw hope gleaming in Leff's eye, and killed it with a stony glance, then called to her father that she was going to ride behind. David was hunting in the hill

held together by channels of communication that filtered through the gaps in hills. The road was crossed by small streams, chuckling at the bottom of gullies, the sides of which were cracked open like pale

turned away thinking how well he matched the surroundings, his buckskins melting into the fawn-colored shading of the earth, his red hair and bronzed face

o sweep an indifferent eye over her which seemed to include her in the unimportant baggage that went to the making of the train. Now, though his manner was brusque, he spoke simply and not discourteousl

of her statement, for David did not excel in the role of Nimrod.

care. Courant had never said a word in her hearing derogatory to David, but she had her suspi

idn't know it. I thought he generall

nd open. But Susan read irony into it. She sat her horse a lit

in when we were on the Platte. It was quite easy for him. Daddy John, wh

this point, might show a tendency to contradict her testimony. But it didn't matter. The joy of proving David'

o consciousness of

lot of Davi

he not only sat squarer in her saddle, b

gaged to be m

married?" said t

ready to go with the quelling glance, but they died unspoken. The man was regarding her with grave, respectful attenti

California," s

oing to marry him at Bridger or along the

e a stab, jabbing down to her secret, sentient core. Her anger grew stronger, but she told herself

eeing to it that her profile was calm and carried high. "So

a long t

e so-a ye

belong to the old towns back there," with a jerk of his head towar

Who a

n, the trappers,

e flashing into sudden s

silence with the incongruous contrast of sunshine on the dust of a dungeon. She sat upright with her anger boiling toward expression. Be

le lady, but you don't

ough," she

here's a mountain man and a voyageur now in the t

r tongue. As for the strange man-she shot a glance at him and met the gray eyes still twinkling with amusement. "Savage!" she thought, "I've no do

in silence,

made y

I'm no

at

y shoul

now. You don't like me,

r dislike you. I d

ly a woman, so dowered with the instinct of attraction,

stily, trying to amend the mistake, and that was sp

herself. The man made no answer, but she knew that he was

e you b

ried, feeling the

ce is as pink as one of those little flat roses that grow on the prairie. It's all right to get mad and blush, but I'd like to know why you do

ification of a petted child, suddenly confronted by a stranger who finds its caprices only ridiculous and displeasi

. "I was angry and I am blushing, and

that his surprise contained the bitter

you denied it?" he exclaimed. "N

are just pretending, I won't explain. I don't intend to ri

h her he would, of course, set aside. David would have obeyed it, but this man of the mountains, at once domineering and stupid, would take no command from any woman. She kept her ear trained for the rhythmic beat in the distance and decided

on the night when Bella was sick, felt its sting when she turned from him to laugh with the others. And it had stirred him to a secret irritation. For he told himself she was only a baby, but a pretty baby, on whose brown and rosy face and merry slits of eyes a man might like to

the train absorbed her. "Does she th

smiles, cast himself down beside her and twined his fingers in her warm grasp. She answered his hungry glance with a sidelong look, glowingly

's text for every sermon which the unlovin

smiled and

se, sill

akening," he breathed

m of pipe smoke, watched. David thought no one was looking, leaned nearer, and kissed her cheek. She gave a furtive glance at the

smoke was gone. Across the red patch of embers his eyes gazed steadily at her with the familiar gleam of derision. Her tendernes